During President Donald Trump‘s first campaign for president, pro-life activists were thrilled at his statements of support for the unborn. Once it became clear he would be the party choice, it was easy to contrast him against long-time abortion proponent, Hillary Clinton. Pro-life voters may have been turned off to varying degrees by Trump’s words and antics, but on Election Day, they took the good with the bad and propelled him to the presidency.
When asked during an October 2016 debate about the possibility of overturning Roe v. Wade, then-candidate Trump responded, “That’ll happen automatically, in my opinion, because I am putting pro-life justices on the court. I will say this: It will go back to the states, and the states will then make a determination.” In the end, that very thing came to fruition. Trump, who in 1999 said he was “pro-choice in every respect,” became the most powerful darling of the pro-life movement.
Since his monumental win with Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization, Trump has backtracked on life issues. This evolution doesn’t seem to bother his biggest supporters. But it is concerning.
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Trump now only cares about how the abortion issue might alter the Republican Party’s 2026 midterm chances. Yet suggesting candidates take a less bold pro-life approach is nothing but moral cowardice. Consider the Trump administration’s reaction to Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO)’s launch of a new pro-life group called Love Life Initiative. It’s a beautiful, necessary project that falls right in line with conservatism. Unfortunately, Axios reports the Trump team is unhappy with Hawley’s focus, with an adviser saying, “Clearly, Senator Hawley and his political team learned nothing from the 2022 elections, when the SCOTUS abortion ruling [overturning Roe v. Wade] resuscitated the Democrats in the midterms.” It’s as if winning matters more than adherence to principles.
Just this week, Trump’s former vice president, Mike Pence, called out the administration on another pro-life issue. Pence’s organization, Advancing American Freedom, issued a statement calling for HHS Secretary RFK, Jr.’s ousting:
“HHS Secretary RFK, Jr. continues to refuse to review the dangerous chemical abortion pill, mifepristone… It’s time to kick this progressive wolf in pro-life sheep’s clothing to the curb. RFK Jr. must go.”
This is blatant anti-life behavior from an administration that is supposed to prize the opposite. Sadly, these are just the latest added to a list of frustrations the pro-life community and its most prominent leaders have with Trump. Another comes in the form of Trump’s executive order “lowering costs and reducing barriers to IVF.” While it wasn’t anywhere near his promise on the campaign trail to cover all the costs for those wanting the treatment, it still bothered the pro-life community for obvious reasons. The process of IVF includes the use, freezing, and/or destruction of multiple embryos.
Trump clearly hopes that the pro-life success of his first term will excuse any decidedly anti-life wrongs in his second term. This is evident in his nomination of RFK, Jr. to HHS, a man who is not and never has been a friend to the pro-life cause. It is also evident in his administration’s push to discourage a focus on the abortion issue ahead of midterm elections.
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While Trump’s involvement in overturning Roe will be a major part of his legacy, it’s not enough. What is required of a truly pro-life president is a continuous commitment to the protection of unborn life. Trump thinks he is the most pro-life president of our lifetime?
Not quite. If that were the case, the victory of Dobbs would have just been a starting point.